Claims
- 1-46. (Canceled)
- 47. A method comprising:
a. cleaning a substrate with at least one cleaning module in a front transfer module; b. transferring the substrate from the front transfer module to a second transfer module without exposing the substrate to the environment; and c. depositing a film on the substrate in the second transfer module with at least one deposition module.
- 48. The method of claim 47, wherein transferring utilizes one or more transfer robots.
- 49. The method of claim 47, further comprising isolating the substrate in the second transfer module with a valve.
- 50. The method of claim 47, wherein the substrate is introduced into the front transfer module with a loader module.
- 51. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one cleaning module is configured to generate supercritical carbon dioxide.
- 52. The method of claim 47, further comprising drawing a vacuum in the second transfer module prior to the step of transferring the substrate.
- 53. The method of claim 47, further comprising filling the second transfer module with an inert gas prior to the step of transferring the substrate.
- 54. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of cleaning comprises generating the supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning solution in at least one cleaning module.
- 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning solution comprises an acid.
- 56. The method of claim 54, wherein the supercritical cleaning solution comprises an amine.
- 57. The method of claim 54, wherein the supercritical cleaning solution comprises an organic solvent.
- 58. The method of claim 47, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer and the step of cleaning comprises removing a photoresist residue.
- 59. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of maintaining supercritical carbon dioxide and a chelating agent in contact with the substrate to remove an oxide layer from a metal surface of the substrate, thereby forming a pre-cleaned substrate.
- 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the chelating agent is one of 2,4-pentanedione, 1,1,1,6,6,6-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione, 1,1,1-trifluoropentane-2,4-dione, 2,6-dimethlyheptane-3,5-dione, 2,2,7-trimethyloctane-2,4-dione, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione, ethylenediamine diacetic acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid, or a combination of two or more thereof.
- 61. The method of claim 47, wherein the film is a metal film.
- 62. A method of treating a substrate comprising:
a. cleaning the substrate in a supercritical process module; b. moving the wafer through one or more transfer modules to a deposition process module, without exposing the substrate to the environment; and c. depositing a film on the substrate with the a deposition process module.
- 63. The method of claim 62, wherein cleaning the substrate comprises generating a supercritical cleaning solution in the supercritcial process module.
- 64. The method of claim 62, wherein the supercritical cleaning solution comprises supercritical carbon dioxide and an acid.
- 65. The method of claim 64, wherein the acid is one of acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, amino acid, glycine, alanine, leucine, valine, glutamine, lysine, or a combination of two or more thereof.
- 66. The method of claim 62, wherein the supercritcial cleaning solution comprises supercritical carbon dioxide and an amine.
- 67. The method of claim 66, where the amine is one of triethanolamine, 2-methylaminoethanol, pyridine, 2,2′-bipyridinem and pentamethyldiethylenetriamine or a combination of two or more thereof.
- 68. The method of claim 62, wherein the supercritical cleaning solution comprises supercritical carbon dioxide and a chelating agent.
- 69. The method of claim 68, wherein the chelating agent is one of 2,4-pentanedione, 1,1,1,6,6,6-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione, 1,1,1-trifluoropentane-2,4-dione, 2,6-dimethlyheptane-3,5-dione, 2,2,7-trimethyloctane-2,4-dione or a combination of two or more thereof.
- 70. The method of claim 62, wherein the film is a metal film and the substrate is a semiconductor wafer.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/199,580 filed on Apr. 25, 2000, which is incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60199580 |
Apr 2000 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09841800 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10870871 |
Jun 2004 |
US |